Members of the community experienced a time capsule of Arlington's history during the 100th birthday celebration of the historic Fielder House on the corner of Fielder and Abram streets Sunday.
Live piano playing in the house's parlor echoed as guests mingled and took refreshments on the first floor. Upstairs, onlookers viewed photographs of the city's early days as well as maps and memorabilia dating back to WWII.
Guests ventured down brick steps toward the basement where they looked at an exhibit of a model train and photographs and collectibles from the times of Arlington's mineral wells.
The 100th birthday celebration provided an opportunity for people to recognize the city's exterior renovations of the house and experience the efforts members of the Arlington Historical Society put forth to preserve, present and exhibit Arlington's history, said Geraldine Mills, director of the society.
According to Fielder Museum records, construction on the Fielder House began in 1914 for residents James Park Fielder and his wife Mattie Fielder.
The house is a prime example of a modified prairie style architecture, and has changed over the years from a private residence to an apartment residence to a museum. It is historically significant because it portrays gracious living: a different time when things were slower and piano playing in the parlor was not uncommon, Mills said.
Arlington resident, Jolene Keck, said her visit to the Fielder House Sunday was the first time she entered the house since moving to Arlington around 1993.
The most significant aspect about the house is "the fact that it's still here and we can still see and walk through a little bit of history," Keck said.
O.K. Carter, second vice president of the Arlington Historical Society, said his favorite part about the celebration was the guests' reactions after they discovered something about the house that they didn't know. At every little corner, there is something to learn about Arlington.
"The house now captures a century-long kaleidoscope of the city's history," Carter said.
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